Yellowstone National Park officials say nobody really liked their last proposal for managing winter travel in the park. Their new plan, however, is finding some encouraged — though still wary — local fans.

At a meeting in Cody last week, speakers generally indicated support for the draft plan. Among other things, it would keep Yellowstone’s East Entrance open in the winter, allow a small increase in snowmobile visitation from recent years and let a limited number of folks snowmobile into the park without a paid guide.

There was plenty of agreement between contenders for the Park County Commission during a Monday night candidate forum in Clark.

Four Republican commission candidates — Dan Laursen, Lee Livingston, Alex Gisoldi and Greg Gaspers — took questions from a roughly 20-person audience at the Clark Pioneer Recreation Center, and they voiced few disagreements between themselves and not many with current commissioners.

There was only one member of the general public who attended Monday night’s Park County budget hearing, but he provided more than enough criticism for County Commission Chairman Tim French.

Rural Powell resident Dale Jensvold was the only citizen to speak at the hearing, repeating the request he’s made unsuccessfully for decades: asking the county to pave the stretch of Road 6 between Lanes 9 and 10 that passes by his home.

By keeping sylvan pass open, allowing non-commercial guides and more snowmobiles, changes from previous draft go with what state, park county had asked for

Yellowstone National Park officials say their latest plan for managing winter visits to the park will achieve two things sometimes seen as competing interests: allowing more visitors into the park while providing more protection of Yellowstone’s resources.

Park County commissioners are finishing up work on the county’s budget — and they’re looking for the chance to tweak the budgets of some other local governments, too.

At its June 19 meeting, the Park County Commission unanimously voted to ask the Wyoming Attorney General’s office for an opinion as to whether they can force some special districts in Park County — which include fire, cemetery and conservation districts — to collect fewer property taxes.